“Beer has the undeserved reputation of being a drink that makes you fat. The real culprit, however, is rather the beer-drinkers’ lifestyle and the fatty snacks that often accompany a night out. This position is the central point of a campaign with which the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) intends to convince women to make the change from wine to beer.

No reliable studies are known that would suggest that beer exercises any effect on the growth of the breasts. It is theoretically possible that the phyto-oestrogens present in the hops may have an influence on the sexual characteristics, but that effect is inappreciably small in comparison with the genetic and hormonal influences.

Don’t you love the UK.

Meanwhile, in Marin… If you haven’t made it out to the new Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, 765 Center Blvd., Fairfax, CA., (415) 485-1005, it’s worth the trip. Proprietor Michael Altman’s won a string of brewing awards, at Mountain Sun in Boulder, CO and before that with McMinnamins in Portland, among other places. Here’s an excerpt from Michael’s latest newsletter:

We hope to tap a new and different cask every other Friday or Saturday. Thanks to our great relationship with Magnolia Pub & Brewery in San Francisco, we are in possession of some German Alt yeast. We’ve just brewed up a batch of Altmans Alt. This recipe has been handed
down from Mikes great, great uncle ol Jebidiah Altman all the way from Düsseldorf Germany! This fine brewed concoction will hit the taps soon.

Iron Springs also has music coming up including: — April 20th, Triad with the Rocket Rhythm Section: folk rock, rhythm and blues; — April 27th, David Thom Band, a traditional bluegrass band from San Francisco.

…Good things to eat and drink are coming from Bruce Paton, executive chef at the The
Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco, (415) 674-3406. On Friday, May 20 there will be a beer dinner featuring the beers of Stone Brewing, San Marcos (think Arrogant Bastard). On Monday, June 20, the Chef’s Association of the Pacific Coast will host a dinner featuring four brewers who make beer in the Belgian style: Allagash Brewing, Portland, ME, New Belgium, Fort Collins, CO, Pizza Port, Solano Beach, CA. and Russian River, Santa Rosa, CA.

Buy a dinner ticket and get a special room rate at the Cathedral Hill. Good idea, when you’re drinking Belgian-style ales. Call for more info or check out www.beer-chef.com.